Fare-box



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

J. BRIOKER. FARBBOX. No. 420,265. Patented Jan. 28, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BRICKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FARE-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,265, dated 3' anuary 28, 1890.

Application filed May 11,1888- Serial No. 273,610. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES BRICKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Fare Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of fare-boxes used in street-railway cars where a conductor is dispensed with.

The object of my invention is to so construct a box that it cannot be tampered with, but can be readily taken apart for repairs by first opening the locked money-compartment; and a further object is to so construct the box that the fares for sections of a day can be assorted into different receptacles, as described hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved fare-box. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 1 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the hopper, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the assorting-wing.

In the construction of fare-boxes for streetrailway cars it is desirable to have them as simple in construction as possible and have the interior of the box open and free from projections or obstructions, and, further, that in case the glass in the receiving portion of the box is broken it will be impossible to remove any of the coin in the money-receptacle. These objects I attain in the following manner:

A is the central or receiving portion of the box.

B is the top plate or cap, and D is the moneyreceptacle, which is preferably of metal. The sides a a and the back I) are firmly secured together and to the box, as they need not be removed; but the front plate 0 is detachable, in order to clean the glass and other parts of the interior of the box. In this front plate is an opening cl, through which the coin is inserted into the box.

E is an inclined plate of glass, against which the coin first strikes on entering the box. At the base of this glass is preferably secured a metallic tongue e, having sharp comb-like prongs, and on the back of the face 0 of the box is a comb F, having sharp teeth. These two combs are so formed that it will be impossible to remove the coin through the small opening (Z, and theseprongs also insure the even delivery of the coin, money, or tickets onto the floor of the receiver.

Directly below the coin-opening in the front plate 0 is a glazed opening G, through which the passenger can see the money as it drops upon the floor of the receiving-chamber. A glass G is also placed directly opposite the glass G, so that the driver can see if a fare has been placed in 'the receiver.

The bottom plate I of the receiver is made of the peculiar form shown, and is hinged at i to the top "of a hopper J, secured by bolts to the main receptacle D, described more fully hereinafter.

The bottom plate I is capable of being tilted in one direction only by means of a rod 2'',

which is secured at i to an arm depending from the pivoted bottom plate I, the rod extending through the back I), and having a suitable handle, by which the driver can pull the rod and tilt the bottom plate I. I prefer to hinge the bottom plate uponthe side flanges of the hopper, above referred to, and

therear of the hopper is inclined at the top, as shown, forming an inclined seat, against which the tapered rear end of the bottom plate rests. The front portion of the bottom plate rests very nearly in contact with the front glass G, and as the bottom plate is tilted in the direction of its arrow it will be seen that it is impossible for a coin or ticket to lodge at any point on the casing or the hopper.

The hopper is of the peculiar form shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the front portion 3 being inclined from near the top to the mouth, where it joins the main receptacle, while the rear portion t is inclined gently, joining an abrupt portion t. v

' Should either the front or rear glass be broken, it would be impossible to extract money from the money-receptacle on account of the pivoted bottom I.

Below the hopper and in the main receptacle is pivoted a switch-wing M, pivoted to the sides of the box and fitting snugly under the hopper. On the shaft of this switch-wing is too v tacle.

a stop m to a stop n on the outside of the box, and each stop, as well as the lever, has an orifice through which the shackle of the lock is passed, so that the lever can be locked either to the stop m or to the stop n. The function of the switch-wing is to direct the money into one or other of the compartments Z Z of the money-box L, removable from the front of the main receptacle D, which is provided with a door D, having, in the present instance, two locks (1 d One of the main objects of dividing the money is that when a car is drivenby two men in one day, one man remaining on the car, say, six hours, and the other for twelve hours, the money of the one trip can be collected in one box, and the wing M shifted so that the money of the other trip can be collected in-the other box, and when the money is counted at the 'end of the day the money collected during the one trip will be assorted independently of that collected during the other trip, so that the money collected by one driver will not be mixed with the money collected by the other; or, in cases where the trips are long, one box may receive the fares taken one way, while the other box will receive the fares taken in going in the opposite direction.

At the top and bottom of the face 0 of the receiver are tongues j j which extend back of the top plate B and back of the top of a rib on the main receptacle D. Bolts K K pass through each side of the top plate and through grooves in the side of the receiver, andthrough the top plate of the main recep- The lower portions of these tie-bolts are screw-threaded, and thumb nuts is are screwed onto these bolts and securely hold the whole structure together. It will then be impossible to remove the face plate without.

first raising the top plate B; but this top plate is held in position by the bolts referred to, and the only way to remove the front plate 0 is to first open the money-receptacle and unscrew the bolts, so that the top plate can be raised clear of the tongues j of the face plate, after which the face plate can be taken out, and the receiving-chamber can be cleaned or repaired, as required.

The top plate 13 is provided with a glazed opening through which the reflected light of the lamp of the car passes, giving sufficient light for the driver to see ata glance whether or not the proper fare is dropped into the box.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the sides and back of the box, the main receptacle at the bottom of the box provided with a confining-rib, the confining-rim at the top of the box, and a front plate held in place by said top rim and the rib in the main receptacle and bolts connecting the top rim and main receptacle at the opposite sides of the box and having nuts within said main receptacle, all substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the casing of the box, thetmain receptacle having a divided box therein, an adjustable switch above said box having an arm on the outside of the easing, and stops for limiting the movement of.

said arm, each stop being provided with an orifice to permit the arm to be securely locked to either of the said stops, all substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification iii the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, J AMES BRICKER. \Vitnesses: 1

WILLIAM D. CoNNER, HENRY HOWSON. 

